Sick in Taiwan

Last Tuesday I came down with a nasty stomach virus. I had to miss two days of school, was sick for almost a week, and was in a lot of pain for most of that week. Fortunately, the illness did give me a chance to see a doctor in Taiwan and learn more about the Taiwanese medical system. Especially given the healthcare debate in America, Taiwan's system is worth studying.

Even though I am not a citizen, I am a student at at the University so I was able to use the University health clinic without issue. While there, I saw a doctor and four prescriptions filled for a total of 120 NTD or about four American dollars, and this was without insurance. With insurance it would have been free. While things are slightly cheaper on campus, off campus I've heard things are not that much more expensive. Another foreign student I know spent a night in a hospital, got seen by a doctor, got some shots, and got four prescriptions filled the next morning for a grand total of about 30 American dollars. Another foreign student I know got an x-ray for the equivalent of about 30 American dollars.

This leads me to the conclusion that not only is healthcare free in Taiwan, but health care costs must be dramatically lower. I did a little research online to find out more.

In Taiwan, everyone is covered by the National Health Insurance, which is payed for by income taxes. Taiwan spends less than a thousand dollars on healthcare per capita compared to the United States which spends more than seven thousand dollars per capita.